In my last post, I talked about my love life, or the lack of one. After multiple unsuccessful attempts of looking for the special someone, or at least a girlfriend, to share my life with, you would think that I would be one bitter, angry African-American male towards women. When I mean women, I mean all women, no matter the race. However, I can’t be. I just can’t be at all. Why? It is because I realize that not every woman is out to intentionally hurt men; not every woman is stuck-up and self-centered; not every woman wants to be taken on an ill-fated joy ride known as the fast life.

I remember an experience that I had at a club not too long ago, where I will admit that I was frustrated with the lack of attention that I received from females that I tried to strike conversation with (I’ve learned my lesson on club etiquette 101, don’t worry). After talking with a couple of my friends about my situation, one of my friends said, “Man, f*ck these b*tches. They don’t know what they want anyways.” Even though my night went for the worse, there is no way that I can honestly call women out of their name, and actually feel good about it. Since when has it been “thorough” to put a female “in their place” by constantly bringing her down and making generalizations about a group of people? I get on my friends consistently about their attitudes about women.

Anyways, back to the actual message at hand. Women: I admire you. Period. Seeing the amount of women, especially African American women, doing something constructive and uplifting to help their communities is always a good sight. The amount of women going to colleges/universities/trade schools to become to next great thing, whether a doctor, lawyer, information systems analyst, etc., shows their determination to make a difference. I also can’t forget to leave out a woman’s beauty. Now, I know the old catchphrase, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but I have to say that a woman is beautiful in her own special way. It took me a long time to realize that beauty is not just what we see in magazines, movies, music videos, or even television commercials. What about the women who constantly stay on their man’s side, no matter the consequence? That shows a woman’s loyalty.

I look at all of my friends, and the girlfriend/wife that they’re with and I say to myself, “You better NEVER do anything to make her feel unwanted or unloved.” I think a lot of people (mainly a lot of men in this case) do not realize the priceless value they have in their woman. They usually don’t realize what they have, until after she is gone.

I honestly think a lot of my admiration for women come from seeing my mother’s struggles and triumphs. When I was very young, my mother was the only parent taking care of me. I did not have my biological father around at all, so there were some tough times growing up. However, my mother made it work somehow, someway (someone cue Jay-Z). When my mother separated from my step-father, she once again was on her own. This time, I was well into my teenage years, and my brother just barely hit double digits. There were times where the road got bumpy, even cracked a little. Guess what? My mother still persevered, and I was there to support her along the way. My mother is determined to never fail, and is always optimistic on life no matter the circumstance.

I see a lot of women that resemble some of the traits that my mother possesses. Unfortunately, it’s a shame that they are not recognized by the masses, or even by their significant others at times. Are women perfect? Not by any means. However, who is? I want you to bring them to my doorstep so I can evaluate them.

This message is for women that I know, and even women I don’t know: I love you, unconditionally. Even though there are times where I feel frustrated as a male talking/communicating with you, I now understand what most of you must encounter on a daily basis. You might have your flaws, but your imperfections fuel me as a man to help uplift you and work as a unit to address/fix them. Thank you.